McARTHUR BELIEVES FOCUS PAID OFF

It’s a real pleasure to be at this club and we’re really happy with what we’ve done, hopefully we can go one step further."

James McArthur

James McArthur expressed his happiness at the manner in which Latics won Saturday’s FA Cup semi final against Millwall, saying that concentration was key and is a great sign going into a congestion period of fixtures.

“It was an excellent day and I think we really deserved it and everyone who watched us will be able to see that,” said the Scottish international, who appeared as a substitute in the 2-0 win.

“Everybody had high concentration levels and coming into the game as a sub meant that I had to match the other players.

“The focus of the players is the reason why we got the clean sheet, everyone worked until the very last minute and we limited their chances.”

McArthur said that another variable working in Latics’ favour was the pitch, adding:

“It (the pitch) really suited us, we rose to the occasion and now it’s a great feeling to know that we’ll be going back to Wembley again to play in the final.”

McArthur went on to describe how he felt with the achievement of winning a semi final, saying:

“It’s a real pleasure to be at this club and we’re really happy with what we’ve done, hopefully we can go one step further.

“To achieve what we have is excellent for the Chairman, the manager and the fans.

“The supporters were right behind us all game and they were there for us when we needed them.”